At least 140 Afghan soldiers have been killed and 60 others wounded in a Taliban attack in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif.
Friday's attack was the deadliest on an Afghan military base since 2001. Anonymous officials say the death toll is likely to rise.
The attack was launched near a mosque on the base in Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of Balkh Province, as soldiers were leaving Friday prayers, said Afghan army spokesman Nasratullah Jamshidi.
Officials say 10 militants, dressed in army uniforms, drove military vehicles onto the local army base before opening fire on soldiers.
A witness who survived the assault said there was complete chaos. There were many people dressed as soldiers firing, but it was unclear who was actually attacking.
After killing at least eight soldiers and wounding 11 others with rocket-propelled grenades and guns, one attacker was killed and the other five were arrested, Jamshidi added.
A Taliban spokesman said the attack was an act of retribution following the recent killings of several senior Taliban leaders.
The NATO-led military coalition has deployed advisers to the base to assist and train Afghan forces, but coalition officials said no international troops were hurt in the attack.
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